Scream Like a Girl

This body of work is exploring my emotions during perimenopause hormonal fluctuations through process-based art. I’m capturing the visceral: anger, confusion, fear, pain and agitation that I feel with what’s happening to my body, mind and moods that are reminiscent of going through puberty. This phase in my life is bringing up 9-yr-old-me feelings of getting my period for the first time and wondering what the heck was wrong with me. I am tying in my own childhood experiences to current emotions I’m facing. With aid from beautifully bizarre images of the female reproductive system from 17th century illustrator Hendrik Bary, I’m bringing you into my perplexing world of freakish hell through honest collaging and charcoal work.

This is a metaphorically loud display of multiple artworks gathering together. They are interacting with one another through their angry, emotional interpretations for the viewer to experience. It is important for me to give voice to the angry little girl inside. I’m uncomfortable. I’m awkward. I don’t know what to do with my body. Creating is a way for me to work through these emotions. I’m confronting opposing inner forces through my art. Going through perimenopause can be a very lonely experience, since the exact age when symptoms begin can vary. I’d like my work to act as an open dialect, connecting conversations with others providing each with validation, information, strategies, and connectedness. The process-based approach undertaken for these pieces allowed for a raw and honest expression of my feelings. Through the convergence of materials and themes, the artwork stands as a truth to the intricate interplay between body, mind, and mood during these transformative phases.

Series is currently on exhibit. Check back for art.